Backstreet, Atlanta

My boyfriend and I planned to ring in 1983 in a big way - we were going to Atlanta! We had heard so much about what a gay mecca Midtown was and we were going to explore it. Chris and I celebrated New Year's Eve at the biggest gay bar we had ever seen - BACKSTREET ATLANTA. We were overwhelmed by the energy - and the wall-to-wall shirtless studs packing this massive multilevel club. We were so impressed that we found an apartment, turned on the utilities and secured a job before we headed back to Nashville a few days later. The following weekend we were residents of Atlanta. I will never forget how Backstreet changed my future - or how it impacted my #GayBarchives project. - Art S